


Are Second Chances Cat-astrophies?

by ValiantJokingThorn



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Cats, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Dwarves as Cats, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, M/M, Sassy felines
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2018-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-06 07:29:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11595831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ValiantJokingThorn/pseuds/ValiantJokingThorn
Summary: Centuries have passed since the Company of Thorin Oakenshield passed into the afterlife without their burglar. Now they're back and they have to help heal the one they wronged so very long ago.That might be easier said than done.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lasttoknow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lasttoknow/gifts).
  * Inspired by [2/9 lives of cats](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11105019) by [lasttoknow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lasttoknow/pseuds/lasttoknow). 



> The characters in this story are not mine, they are the creations of Professor Tolkien himself.  
> 

Much had been written about the Halls of Mahal, where the souls of Mahal’s children would go to await the remaking of the world. The stories spoke of halls filled with glowing light, of endless arrays of forges and workshops where Dwarrow could work on whatever craft their hearts desired. Grand feasts would go on eternally in massive banquet halls and all of the family and friends who had passed on before you would be waiting there.

             The last thing he remembered was falling asleep in his bed, an old lonely dwarf far past his prime with a lifetime of regrets and sorrows weighing down his once strong shoulders. Dwalin peered around him uneasily, senses straining to make out anything of the darkness that surrounded him on all sides. There was no light, no sound and to his sorrow, no sign of his family or friends.

            If this was the afterlife, then someone somewhere had gotten their information very, very wrong.

            “They were not wrong,” a voice rumbled, bringing to mind the heat of a forge and the sound of swords striking against shields,” My Halls are as they have been described.”

            “Lord Mahal,” Dwalin stuttered, falling to his knees in obeisance,” What is…? Why…? I do not understand My Lord.”

            “You have been denied entrance into my Halls, Dwalin son of Fundin,” the voice rumbled, seeming unaware of the way his creation gasped in horror,” and not just you. You and the Company of Thorin Oakenshield have done something that few have ever been able to do. You have aroused the anger of my wife and consort Yavanna and it is she who has asked me to do this thing.”

            “My Lord, I do not understand,” he rasped as his eyes flickered around, trying desperately to pinpoint where the voice was coming from in the surrounding void,” Why is your Queen so angry? What have we done to merit such a punishment as this?”

            The voice was silent for a moment before speaking a single name that caused Dwalin’s entire world to come to a frozen halt.

            “Bilba Baggins.”

            And then Dwalin understood.

            His mind was transported back to that terrible day so many years ago. He remembered the overwhelming sorrow as he watched Fili’s execution by Azog. But there had been no time to truly mourn the young Prince, there was still a battle to be fought.

            At the battle’s end, more grief was piled upon him when he learned of the deaths of Kili and Thorin. His king and his cousins, all taken from the world far too soon; ending the last true line of Durin’s descendants forever. He had taken a walk then, trying desperately to wrap his still battle addled mind around the fact that they were gone. That he hadn’t been fast or strong enough to save them. His legs carried him across the snow covered battlefield, between the bodies of elves, men, dwarves, and orcs that still covered the battlefield. He was nearly to the foot of Ravenhill before he finally came back to himself.

How he wished he hadn’t.

            She looked so afraid, he thought as he stared uncomprehendingly at the small figure lying in a pool of her own blood. Wide golden-flecked hazel eyes that once blazed with fire or sparkled with mirth were dull and lifeless; forever imprinted with what could only have been fear. Bright golden hair had become matted with blood and dirt, changing its color into something nearly unrecognizable to his eyes.

            He had wanted to reach out and shake her, beg her to wake up to return to him once more. He had so much he wanted, needed, to apologize for; so many things he needed to say, so many things he had to tell her.

            And now he would never get the chance.

            All because of the grotesque shaft of an orc spear that had pierced her leg hard enough to trap her to the frozen earth while she slowly bled to death from a nicked artery. It was a slow death, a cold one with no one by her side to comfort her as she had passed from this world into whatever afterlife that Hobbits had. She hadn’t had that, hadn’t had what should be allowed for every being in the world as they passed.

            She had died alone.

            It took a while for his mind to register the almost inhuman keening that filled the air around him. It took him even longer and the arrival of his older brother for him to understand that the noise was coming from his own lips. The cry of a soul now bereft of its other half, its One.

            Dwalin shuddered as he forcibly pulled his mind back to his current situation. It did not good to dwell on the past; Bilba had been gone from his side for many years. He would never see her again.

            “Don’t be too sure, son of Fundin,” the voice said as if its owner had read his mind.

            “My Lord?”

            “It has taken me some time due to my wife’s fury at you and your companions, but I have managed to convince her to give all of you a second chance. After all you are all my children.”

            “A second chance,” Dwalin whispered, trying desperately to curtail the tentative wisps of hope that were trying to rise in his heart.

            “Yes my son, a second chance,” Mahal answered and Dwalin slowly became aware of a pair of golden eyes that were becoming visible through the haze,” A chance for you, all of you, to see your Hobbit once more.”

            “Thank you, My Lord,” Dwalin whispered hoarsely, bowing his head to the shadowy figure of his creator that was now revealed to his gaze,” With all my heart I thank you and Lady Yavanna.”

            “It will not be easy, son of Fundin. The world beyond has changed much in the time you have spent here. What seems like mere moments to you has been millennia to Arda. The ages of Elves, Hobbits, and Dwarves have long been over. Now it is the age of Men and Men alone.

            It is to this age that Bilba Baggins has been reborn, and to where you will all be sent. However, you will not be Dwarrow anymore, though upon your second death you will still be allowed back into my Halls as my children.”

            “So we will be Men then?”

            A chuckle filled the air before darkness swallowed him once more.

            “Not quite.”

.

.

.

            It was raining when Dwalin opened his eyes once more. Blinking he lay there on the hard stone ground, ignoring the feeling of rainwater soaking through his furs. Mahal must have seen fit to give him back his old clothes. His eyes trailed over his surroundings, over strange contraptions that were apparently called cars (praise Mahal for the information he had placed in the dwarf’s head) and up to the slightly blurred lampposts that brightened the sidewalk.

            It was too big, he decided as he lifted his head from the cement. The buildings were too tall and everything too dark, too new. But it was a second chance for him, a second chance for all of them, and he would do his best to make good use of every second he had been gifted. With a sigh, he tried to heave himself upright on onto his own two feet.

            His legs seemed to collapse in on himself and he found himself on hands and knees once more. Grumbling he glanced down and nearly collapsed in shock. Instead of large scarred hands and booted feet, he found four furry paws attached to four equally fuzzy legs. A glance behind him showed that he also had a stubby tail as well.

            _I guess this is what Mahal meant that we wouldn’t be Men when we returned,_ Dwalin thought dizzily to himself _._

            His hindquarters hit the ground with a firm thump as he tried to pull himself back together. He was a warrior, a descendant of the line of Durin, and a dwarf (well cat) and he’d be damned if he would let something like being turned into a feline stop him from completing his mission. He’d find Bilba, he’d find the others, and then he would try his absolute best to make up to Bilba everything he hadn’t done as a Dwarf. He would stay by her side for the rest of his life and give her all the love he could, even if he was forced to remain as a cat.

            A loud honk of a car horn brought him back from his internal musings and back to his current situation. He was a cat alone in a world that was far too big for one such as him. He didn’t know where Bilba or any of the others were or when he’d see them again. He felt his eyes sting and grumbled deep in his throat. He was a warrior, a full grown adult; he wasn’t going to cry like a young child in a situation he couldn’t change. He wasn’t going to cry.

            He would deny to his dying day that some of the raindrops falling to the pavement weren’t raindrops at all.

            It took a bit before he realized that water was no longer soaking through his fur. Puzzled, he twisted his head around and came eye level with a pair of brown boots. His gaze trailed up to where knee high boots gave way to a glimpse of skin that morphed into a beautiful yellow dress. He followed the dress up to the face of the person wearing it.

            Oh, that face.

            Familiar gold flecked hazel eyes stared at him curiously. Her blonde hair was braided in a single long plait that hung over the shoulder of her brown leather jacket, clean of the debris that had dirtied it so many centuries ago. A mournful noise escaped his mouth as he stared up at his burglar.

                        _Praise be to Mahal and Yavanna_ , he thought as she knelt down in front of him and extended her hand _, Thank you._

“Well hello there handsome, what are you doing out alone in this weather?” she asked and oh if hearing that well-remembered voice wasn’t the most wonderful thing he’d heard in his life,” Why did your owner leave you out here? Are you lost?”

            She ran her delicate fingers under his chin and down his throat, obviously looking for a collar. Instead, he started purring in contentment at the slight petting.

            “Well, no collar and you’ve obviously been sitting out in the rain for a while. How would you like to come home with me? I’ve got plenty of space.”

            Dwalin chirped happily and reached up to rest his front paws on her knees, eyes bright with hope and happiness.

            Bilba laughed, a familiar and well-loved thing, and reached out to awkwardly scoop him up onto her shoulder. It was a bit of a struggle considering that he was rather large and heavy for a cat and she was trying to desperately juggle the handle of her bright green umbrella so that both of them didn’t get drenched.

            In the end, they managed though, and Dwalin found himself happily purring as they made their way towards their new home.


	2. Chapter 2

“It’s actually a really nice place to live,” Bilba chattered to Dwalin as she swept them both inside the lobby of her apartment building,” The rent’s fair for this part of the city, and I have a rooftop apartment, which is absolutely amazing! The building’s owner, Mr. Grey, gave me the keys to the roof and I have such lovely views of the river and park from there and my balcony. Rather an odd man him, why just last week he had someone come out and enclose my entire roof with a fine mesh, which is fine, I asked him to after all. But then he also had them enclose the fire escape stairs leading to the roof and part of my balcony, which seemed quite odd to me. And then he finished it off by telling me that I needed to get a pet of some kind, maybe a few pets even. It’s rather odd, it’s almost like he knew you were coming.”

            Dwalin’s ears twitched with interest as he watched the elevator doors shut with an unpleasant hiss. This Mr. Gray sounded like he was quite the confusing individual, almost as bad a certain gray wizard… His thoughts came to grinding halt. It couldn’t be, could it?

            The lift jerking was enough to bring him back to reality and he yowled in surprise, ears flattening themselves against his head in shame when he heard Bilba laughing.

            “It’s alright, we’ll be home in a few minutes,” she said as she stroked his back with her free hand,” There’s plenty of room and you’ll have free run of my apartment and the roof. Actually, you could almost have run of the entire building if you wanted to, there’s no one else renting here; which is odd considering this is prime property and Mr. Grey could make a small fortune if he wanted to. Who am I to judge, though?”

            “You sound like a good judge of character to me,” he told her petulantly, not that she could understand him,” If he is the reincarnation of that daft old wizard, odd only begins to describe that pest…” He trailed off as he came face to face with a uniquely green door.

            “It was the door that sealed the deal for me,” she admitted to him as she dug into her pocket for her keys,” I already knew I was going to take this place before, I would have been crazy not to, but that silly green door just made this place feel like home.”  The key turned smoothly in the lock and the door clicked open, revealing her apartment to his eyes for the first time.

            Comfortable looking furniture was scattered around the room, interspersed with potted plants and piles of papers and books. Bookshelves lined the walls and the kitchen looked to be set up for someone who did a lot of cooking. It was a far cry from the comfortable smial she’d had in the Shire, but he supposed that this was probably as close to a Hobbitish home as she was likely to get in the modern world.

            Humming quietly, Billa deposited him on the floor before hanging her jacket on the nearby coat rack. “Come on, I’ll give you the grand tour.”

            The rest of the house was just as comfortable, he decided as he trotted obediently after his love. Everything looked so warm and welcoming, and she; she was nearly exactly how he remembered her. Her laughter, her chatter, the warm sparkle in her eye; that was something he would fight tooth and nail to protect. He would not fail her a second time.

            Eventually, their tour led them to the bathroom and his ears perked in interest. While Mahal had graced him with information on this new world, there was nothing like seeing such wonders for himself. He examined the room carefully, mentally comparing any differences he could find between modern innovation and Dwarven ingenuity.  The sound of running water made him turn his head from his inspection of the sink’s plumbing and his ears perked up happily at the sight of the bathtub being filled with a low level of water.

            “Now I know that cats don’t really like water….” Billa began, only to be cut off by a large ball of fur racing by her to hop fearlessly in the tub.

            _Oh, blessed maker_ , he thought dreamily to himself as the warm water soaked through his fur, _this feels so good._

A wondering laugh made him tilt his head back to watch his Billa through half lidded eyes. She looked amused and rather relieved at his actions and he purred in pleasure at having made her happy.

            “I take it back, obviously you don’t mind baths,” she chuckled as she knelt by the tub and picked up a bottle of shampoo,” I’m actually very thankful for that as I doubt I would have been able to wrestle you for a bath if you hadn’t wanted one.”

            Dwalin purred louder in agreement as Billa’s questing fingers started to rub the liquid into his admittedly dirty fur. This had to be as close to Mahal’s Halls as he could get on Arda, it just had to be.

            “You have such lovely fur,” she murmured,” such a beautiful shade of brown, so dark and warm. Oh and look at these markings on your head, they almost look like tattoos. This tattered ear of yours just gives you the right addition to your character too.”

            If he’d still been a dwarf, he would have moaned at the feeling of his tattered ear being rubbed between delicate fingers. Ever since it had been mauled at the Battle of Moria, it had been more sensitive than any injury had a right to be; though thankfully it had passed being sensitive to weather condition and had settled on being sensitive to touch. He wondered how Billa would have taken the news that if she had only touched his ears when he was a dwarf, he would have melted and done whatever she wanted him to.

            “I dream sometimes,” Billa murmured softly and he pulled himself away from his thoughts to focus once more on her face,” and in these dreams, I see people whose names I know, but I can never remember meeting. One of these people was a warrior, a fearsome one, who carried a pair of great axes on his back. He looked so fierce, but he had such a great heart, one that was capable of so much compassion.”

Dwalin’s heart raced faster, did she know him? Could she see that he was here in front of her?

“I know that you’re only a cat and that he was… something else; something ever so precious to me, not that he ever knew it. But still, I think I’ll call you Dwalin, after him. What do you think?”

            “I think that my own name sounds perfect for me,” he meowed as his eyes twinkled with mirth. Carefully he bumped her hand with his forehead before he hauled himself back out of the tub to drip all over the floor.

            “Oh do come here,” she grumbled and snatched a towel off the rack to dry him with,” Honestly, is this how things are going to be from now on?”

            Dwalin merely chirped in agreement and continued to purr.

.

.

.

            It wasn’t until much later after a scrumptious meal of leftovers from Billa’s dinner (he’d wanted to cry when he realized that it was trout, cooked the same way it had been all those years ago) and a movie on the television (the next time Bilba left the apartment he was going to learn how to work the remote) that he started to see that maybe things weren’t as all right as he’d thought they were.

            Bilba had spent several moments creating a rough nest out of pillows and a blanket atop a comfy chair before she had placed him onto it. Naturally, he had instead hopped over onto her bed and lay down, he had just found her and he was not going to let her out of sight now. Bilba, however, seemed to disagree with him and quickly scooped him up and back onto the nest. He refused.

            “Oh fine,” she grumbled, throwing up her arms in defeat as he took a seat on the bed once again,” You can sleep on the bed if you want but be warned, it’s not going to be comfortable for you. I have a tendency to scream and thrash about in my sleep. I’m just as likely to kick you or roll over on you and I really don’t want you to get hurt. So please, for my sake if nothing else, sleep on the chair.”

            The worried look on her face made his heart twist and he nearly did as she asked, but then a vision of her lying dead on a battlefield flashed before his eyes and he resolutely settled himself once more. Let her do her worst, he wasn’t leaving.

            “Alright then don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Billa sighed, and oh she sounded so tired as she slipped beneath the covers and turned out the lights,” Goodnight Dwalin.”

            _Goodnight, ghivashel._


	3. Chapter 3

It was her blood curdling scream that had woken him from a sound sleep. He jumped to his feet, fur standing on end as his eyes darted over the room to search for whoever had dared to harm his Bilba. The room was empty however and his heart sunk as he realized the true cause of her distress.

            Her eyes were open and unseeing, her body thrashing as though she was trying to either fight or flee from whatever had invaded her sleep. He could only watch in horror as she cried out in pain and grabbed at her leg, the same leg that had been trapped to the battlefield by an orc spear. Meowing anxiously he reached out and tapped at her face insistently with his paw until he saw clarity return once more to her hazel eyes. She stared at him for a moment, mind sluggishly trying to make sense of him before she suddenly reached out to cuddle him close to her. He could feel her chest still heaving with stuttering breaths as she tried to chase off the remnants of her nightmare.

            “You’re a good boy Dwalin, thank you for waking me up. I thought you’d run if I startled you during one of my nightmares,” she muttered voice hitching and he wriggled around to see tears falling from her eyes,” I’m glad to see I was wrong.”

            Licking the tears from her face was a poor substitute for how he wanted to help her, but when he was a cat with paws instead of a dwarf with hands it was the only thing he could do. His heart lightened when she giggled slightly under his ministrations before gently pushing him away.

            “Well,” she murmured as she slipped out of bed and threw on an old patchwork robe,” Since I know I won’t be getting back to sleep anytime soon, how does some warm milk sound, hmm?”

            “I’d rather you tell me about your nightmares Bilba,” he groused as he trotted after her,” What do you dream of beside the battle that ended your life? Do you dream of trolls or goblin tunnels deep in the mountains? And what about your past then? And your past now? Was there anything that you lived through then that makes you cry out in the night? Dammit Bilba, just talk to me. Please.”

            Of course, since she didn’t speak cat, she simply proceeded to get a jug of milk from the fridge and pull a saucepan from the cupboards. He sighed as he awkwardly leaped onto the counter and settled down to watch her. Her hands still shook slightly as she poured the milk into the basin and her eyes were still too red, but she looked a little better than she had earlier and for that he was grateful.

            All too soon she set a bowl of barely steaming milk in front of him and he craned his neck forward to cautiously lap at the treat. A pleased purr escaped him when he caught the faint taste of sugar and cinnamon laced within the rich treat and he fell to the milk with gusto.

            He absolutely would not admit that he melted when a gentle hand was run along his back.

.

.

.

            Dwalin’s ears flicked madly as he tried to take in the bustling city around him. The buildings were still too tall he decided, even if they did look decidedly friendlier in the daytime with blue skies and sunshine. People rushed by them, intent on their own lives, and cars rumbled by in the street.  The smell of food made his stomach rumble as they passed some sort of café and he licked his lips at the sight of a juicy steak as it wandered by on a waiter’s tray.

            He continued to cast longing looks back at the food, and as such didn’t notice when Bilba changed direction and stepped into an air conditioned building until the door suddenly shut in front of his face. Blinking in shock he twisted around to see where they were.

            A row of barely comfortable chairs lined the walls while a table covered with magazines took a place of pride at the center. He stared in confusion as he realized that some of the chairs were occupied by humans and their pets. All of them looked rather miserable, and a sneaking suspicion entered his mind.

            Bilba ignored all this and strode confidently towards a counter where a woman was busy typing away on her computer. The brunette woman looked up with a polite smile on her face. “Can I help you?”

            “Yes, I’m Bilba Baggins and I have an appointment with Dr. Brown for my cat, Dwalin.”

            “Yes, here it is. It says here you’re a new client, is that correct?”

            “Yes, ma’am.”

            “Alright,” the brunette chirped and gathered a few random papers that she stuck to a clipboard and handed to Bilba,” Just need you to fill these out and we’ll get you back to see Dr. Brown.”

            “Great, thank you.”

            Dwalin grumbled mutinously as Bilba took a seat in one of the chairs and plopped him onto her lap. “Now you behave yourself,” she warned him as she pulled a pen from her purse and started to fill out all the necessary paperwork.

            And with that warning; Dwalin son of Fundin, former dwarf of Erebor did something he hadn’t done since he was a small dwarfling and hadn’t gotten his way.

He pouted.

He continued to do so until he was set on a cold, metal examination table and was loomed over by a figure, a very familiar figure. Brown eyes stared thoughtfully from beneath bushy eyebrows, while a slightly unkempt beard and mane of hair framed his face.

            _It would be just my luck that Bilba would bring me straight to the reincarnated version of that batty wizard, Radagast_ ; he groaned to himself, _Mahal… no Yavanna hates me._

            Radagast glared at him as though he’d read his mind before rearranging his face into a more pleasant expression and refocusing on Bilba. “Miss Baggins, there was apparently something amiss with the paperwork for Dwalin here. If you’d like to go to the front and get that all sorted out, I’d be more than happy to give him the exam and vaccination he needs.”

            “Oh, well I’m not sure if I should leave him here alone. I have no idea how he’ll react around strangers, we’ve only recently met after all.”

            “Oh he’ll be fine Miss Baggins, not to worry,” the man said as he gently ushered Billa from the room,” I’m a regular wizard with animals. We’ll get along just fine, I assure you.”

            “Well if you’re certain,” she said hesitantly and glanced over to meet Dwalin’s eyes,” I’ll be back in a few moments, so behave for Dr. Brown.”

            As soon as Bilba was out of earshot, the reincarnated wizard spun to face him with a dark look on his face.

            “Now you listen to me dwarf,” Radagast snarled as he picked him up by the scruff of his neck,” You and the others had best not waste the second chance you were given. Yavanna is still furious with all of you, and it doesn’t help that the only time Bilba Baggins remembers her past life is through her dreams. You still have a lot of work to do to heal her, so you had best get started.”

            With a final shake, Dwalin was unceremoniously dumped back on the table as Radagast turned to riffle through the drawers of his workstation while muttering something that sounded like,” Cats. She should have turned them into rodents, they’re damned lucky she didn’t.”

            Dwalin was spared a single moment to agree with that sentiment before the man turned back to face him once more, gleaming needle poised in hand. The smirk on the vet’s face made his stomach twist and he couldn’t help the nervous gulp that wracked through him.

            “Now I’m going to give you your vaccinations; so be a big boy and stay still, hmm?”

            He would rather have been shot with an arrow.

.

.

.

            “You were such a good boy Dwalin,” Bilba said much later as she carried her newly vaccinated pet into a nearby store,” and I think you deserve a treat because of it. I usually get myself ice cream when I get my shots, but I thought you might like a new toy instead.”

            Dwalin meowed petulantly as his sore behind was deposited into a cart and he couldn’t help but give Bilba a grumpy glare as every movement seemed to aggravate his soreness. She caught his look and gave him a slightly sheepish one in return. “I’m sorry Dwalin, but that vet’s visit did need to happen whether you liked it or not.”

            Dwalin huffed and watched with curiosity as she pulled various items off the store shelves. A pair of colorful plastic bowls was set next to him while a heavy looking bag of litter was stored on the rack under the cart. A simple litter tray and scooper joined him along with a few cans of what he suspected to be cat food. He sniffed suspiciously at the containers and grumbled, if Bilba thought he was going to eat that willingly then she had another thing coming.

            Finally, they came to a stop in what could only be the toy aisle and he stared around in awed horror. Bright plastic and fabric mice and fish hung from hooks while garishly colored feathers dangled from the ends of plastic sticks. Packets of cheap plastic balls with bells and various other attachments made him shudder. These atrocities looked more like they were meant for a poodle, not a proud dwarven warrior. Though, there were a few he could see Fili and Kili falling in love with. He huffed softly with laughter at the thought; he couldn’t wait to see those two idiots again.

            “Here Dwalin,” Bilba said as she scooped him from the cart and settled him on the floor,” Pick one.”

            He couldn’t help but give her an offended look before he started to examine the shelves more closely. Eventually, he picked a bag of twine balls and a scratching post; it couldn’t hurt to stay in shape.

He watched as they were placed in the cart before Bilba started to sort through the shelves again. Something that looked like a harness was pulled from the shelf along with a couple of collars. She knelt before him and held one out in each hand, “Which one Dwalin?”

            He glared warily at the pink rhinestone and glitter monstrosity in her right hand before reaching out to bat at the studded black leather collar in her left.

            There was no way in Mandos he was going to wear the other one.

.

.

.

            The cat food hadn’t been quite as bad as he’d imagined.

            He licked his chops as he wandered through the living room, waiting for the taste of it to fade. It certainly wasn’t Bilba’s cooking though. He stopped by the side of the couch and peered over the edge, raising himself slightly on his hind legs to do so.

            She looked so comfortable in her pajamas with her nose in a book and he gave an inquisitive chirp before launching himself up to land on her legs. She stirred and looked down at him with a soft smile. “Hey there handsome, are you bored?”

            He chirped again before moving to curl up on her shoulder, playfully sticking his nose into her ear and snuffling softly. The resulting shriek of laughter lightened his heart and he bumped her hand when she reached over to gently shove him; causing her to instead spend a few moments scratching his ears.

            Eventually, she tired though, and once again moved to grasp her book. He shuffled slightly and peered curiously at the page.

            “I didn’t know you were a reader Dwalin. Well, since it must be hard for you to turn pages with paws, how about I read to you instead?”

            Dwalin meowed in agreement and settled down to listen while Bilba moved to the beginning of the tale once more. Once they were both comfortable, she began.

            "From the old and pleasantly situated village of Mayfield, a footpath winds through the green and shady meadows to the foot of the mountains..."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, my boss had me scheduled 7 days straight and my hours have been all over the place lately. But here is the chapter and though I'm not entirely happy with it, it's not too bad.

Dwalin perched on the end of Bilba’s bed and stared intently at the bathroom door. He could hear the water running, but not the usual sound of her humming as she went about her morning routine. It left him feeling strangely bereft, and he sighed moodily as he wished her were still a dwarf. Mahal, he’d gladly be a _man_ if he would just be able to hold her in his own two arms when she woke from a nightmare.

            They were getting worse, he silently acknowledged to himself. Granted, he’d only been with her through one other and that battle dreams could often vary in intensity; however he just couldn’t shake the feeling. His ears twitched as he heard the water stop and the curtain pull back. He had to find some way to help her, but he was just one cat and she couldn’t understand him when he talked to her.

            _Oh, Lord Mahal and Lady Yavanna help me,_ he thought as the bathroom door opened and Bilba pattered out, dressed in an old patchwork robe that was nearly an identical copy to the one she had worn so long ago _, She has suffered so much and is still suffering through her dreams. I’m just one cat, and I have no idea what to do._

            A gentle hand running down his back pulled him from his silent prayer and he glanced up curiously.

            “I’m going to have to leave you alone for a while Dwalin. The office called and they want me to go in for some sort of meeting, didn’t bother to listen to the details too much. Really, I’m glad I generally work at home; it’s so much easier to deal with all those idiots from here while I sit in my pajamas,” she sighed and fondly rubbed his ears with a smile,” Dr. Brown called and asked if I wouldn’t mind helping with the adoption fair that his office is hosting today. I said I would, so when I get home we’re going to take a little walk down to the vets.”

            Dwalin couldn’t help the petulant meow that escaped his lips as he hunkered down further onto the bed. The last thing he wanted to do today was see that damnable reincarnated wizard, especially if there were any needles in range.

            “If you behave, I’ll make sure you get a cookie.”

            Dwalin’s ears perked up at the sound of his favorite treat and his mouth watered at the thought of one of Billa’s delicious butter cookies. For one of those cookies he’d walk to Mordor itself. Well maybe not Mordor. Mirkwood definitely. Mind made up, he nodded in agreement and held out a paw.

            “Alright, fine then, we’ll shake on it,” Bilba chuckled as she took his paw in hand,” Now I’ve got to run, so I’ll see you in a while.”

            Dwalin grumbled and rolled over on his back, listening intently as he heard the front door open and shut. Once he was sure Bilba was gone, he quickly hopped off the bed and padded his way to the living room. The remote was sitting innocently on the coffee table and he bounced up next to it, gently pawing the object in front of him and studying it intently.

            It certainly didn’t look too difficult to operate. Tentatively he reached out and tapped the red button that read ‘Power.’ Noise blared through the air and he yowled in surprise, slipping off the table’s edge in shock. Cautiously he pulled himself back onto the table and stared in bewilderment at the movement from the TV screen.

            “Right, the sound’s on,” he murmured and focused on the remote again, tapping at the double sided button that read ‘Volume.’ The noise increased. He growled and swatted the button again. The volume decreased to a more manageable level.

            “Well that was simple enough,” he murmured to himself and stared at the screen, wrinkling his nose in disgust at what appeared to be some sappy romantic type of show.

            Growling he turned his attention to the remote once more and eyed the button that read ‘Channels.’ A quick tap on the button made the screen shift and he froze in awe as he watched the scene turn to something else entirely.

            “Oh Mahal,” he whispered reverently,” I know you gave me the knowledge of how everything works in this time, but there is nothing quite like seeing it for oneself. This is amazing.”

            He spent the next several minutes flipping through the channels out of sheer amazement before finally settling on some type of movie that seemed to involve plenty of gunfire and explosions. With a pleased rumble he hopped over onto the sofa and curled up.

.

.

.

            The animal shelter was absolute chaos.

            There were dogs in kennels and on leashes, some barking or yowling for all they were worth. His fur stood on end as one particularly nasty mutt on a leash tried to lunge at him. Hissing, he reached out a paw to swat at the drooling creature only to feel himself being yanked back by his harness.

            “No, Dwalin.”

            He laid his ears back in irritation as he felt himself being dragged away from the far too smug looking dog and herded into another room. A door shut firmly behind him and he tilted his head back to look at Bilba. Her eyebrow was quirked and the hand not holding his leash rested firmly on her hip. He suppressed a wince at the look of disappointment in her eyes.

            “Now Dwalin, I know that dog was being rude but he was also on a leash. He wouldn’t have gotten to you; I wouldn’t have let him at any rate. Now I know that you don’t want to be here, but I do really need you to behave. Can you do that?”

            Dwalin sighed heavily and nodded, swishing his tail slightly in irritation.

            “Well good, now come along. I think you might do better in this section.”

            Dwalin followed her obediently into a room down the hall and his eyes widened as he took in the scene. Rows of cages lined the walls of the room, and the occasional soft meow or growl gave him the answer as to their occupants.

            “I’m going to leave you here for a little while Dwalin,” she said softly and unhooked his leash,” You’ll have company and will be away from the dogs on the other side. There will be people wandering through here every now and then, but Dr. Brown has informed them you’re here so you should be left alone. Now you behave yourself and I’ll be back to get you later.”

            Dwalin watched petulantly as the door was shut with a firm thud. As much as he was grateful to be free from the leash, he truly could have done without being shut in a room full of cats. Well, a room full of cat cats at any rate. He’d be more than happy to be in a room filled with dwarf cats. A pang of loneliness struck him as he started to cautiously make his way toward the cages. He wondered, and not for the first time, where the rest of the Company was.

            The cats in the cages he passed seemed content to more or less ignore him, while some of them meowed among themselves in what seemed to be a serious conversation. To his surprise he found that he could actually vaguely understand their varied chittering. Apparently they were worried about the fair and about whether or not they were going to get adopted into good homes. The small orange tabby was hopeful that she’d find her forever home. The fuzzy black cat in the next cage had been returned from a previous home and was slightly cynical about his options while the young grey tom on the other side couldn’t seem to care less.

            He was so enthralled by what he was hearing that the barking in the room took some time to register. It was an odd sound, somewhere between a cat’s meow and the awful racket made by those tiny dogs the noble dwarrowdams used to keep as pets. Curiously he padded towards the noise only to slow in astonishment as the barking began to shift slowly into actually discernable words.

            “ _Let me out of this cage, let me out. How dare you lock behind these walls of inferior metal, I am a warrior and I demand to be treated with respect. Let me out, damn you!”_ a familiar voice howled and Dwalin felt his heart lighten as he started to race towards the sound.

            “Bifur!” he yowled happily as he slid to a stop in front of one of the cages and stared inside eagerly.

            A fluffy black striped gray cat with a bobbed tail stared back at him from wide brown eyes. “Dwalin,” he barked,” it’s you! You’re here! Thank Mahal! I thought I’d never see anyone from the Company ever again!”

            “Nor did I,” Dwalin chirped and butted his head against Bifur’s through the cage,” Have you seen any of the others yet?”

            _“No, but if what Mahal said is true then we just have to wait. We’ll see them all again, eventually.”_

“Aye, now let’s see about springing you from this contraption, shall we?”

            _“I’ve battled trolls, orcs, and wargs, lived with an axe in my skull for decades, and all it takes is a human with some weird kind of noose to capture me. That’s kind of embarrassing, when you think about it.”_

“The problem with being cats instead of dwarrow, well one of many problems,” he grumbled as he began to eye the latches on the cage,” Well that’s pathetic, a newborn dwarfling could do a better job than this.”

            _“Let me see,”_ a brown eye peered through the slats at the latch before an oddly embarrassed look spread itself across the feline features _,” I should have thought of that myself. Mahal, what is wrong with me?”_

            “Might still be a bit addled from the change, and I’m willing to bet that the scar on your head isn’t helping matter either.”

            _“Probably not_ , _”_ Bifur agreed absently as he watched Dwalin deftly use his paw to pull the latch open _,” But at least I know that once I settle I’ll be back to normal.”_

“As normal as we can be I suppose, but at least we’ll have time at Bilba’s for you to do that,” Dwalin chirped as Bifur slipped free of the cage. The other cat jerked and stared at him in shock.

            _“You found her? You found Bilba?”_

            “More like she found me, but she is here.”

            _“Praise be to Mahal, you have no idea how happy I am to hear that. How is she?”_

            Dwalin’s pleased expression slowly melted away and he opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by the door opening.

            Both cats stared wide eyed at the door as a pair of men wearing thick leather gloves walked into the room. The men froze in shock before one of them suddenly pointed.

            “Get the gray striped one; he’s the one that’s supposed to be put to sleep.”

            “Over my dead body,” Dwalin growled, vaguely aware of Bifur snarling next to him.

            The men froze as they stared at the irate cats for a moment before the elder one shook his head,” I’ll take the one on the left; you get the one on the right.”

            “A-alright,” the other stuttered as he warily eyed the snarling animals,” A-are you sure t-that’s a good idea?”

            “They’re cats, what’s the worst that could happen?”

            The moment he took a step forward, he found out exactly what could. Both cats sprang on the men like a couple of savage animals, howling and clawing with all their might. The men tried desperately to grab hold of the creatures, only to be thwarted over and over by a well-placed nail or tooth. They were so intent on the battle that none of them heard the door swing open.

            “What is going on here?” Bilba’s voice demanded and all four figures froze in shock.

            “Those cats just attacked us for no reason,” the older man whined, pointing at the smug looking cats with glare,” Look what they did to us.”

            “I’m more interested in what you were doing to them; animals rarely attack unless they have a good reason.” 

            “We were taking the other one to be euthanized,” the younger one muttered as he probed at one of his scratches with a wince, “I’m gonna get cat scratch fever now, I just know it.”

            “Euthanized!? Why!?”

            “He’s defective look at him, he has a huge scar on his head and he barks like a damn dog!”

            _“Do I bark?”_

            “Kind of, you sound like a mix between a cat and Lady Derini’s dog.”

            _“Lovely.”_

            “Well I think he sounds adorable, so I’m going to adopt him. That is what today is about isn’t it? Helping all these animals find homes?”

            “But you can’t just…”

            “Yes I can just, now if you will excuse me I have some paperwork to fill out and I’ll thank you to leave my cats alone. Good day, gentlemen.”

            Both aides shuffled out of the room and Bilba followed them, only pausing for a moment to throw a,” Dwalin, no cookies for you tonight,” over her shoulder before shutting the door behind her.

            Dwalin grumbled slightly before sighing and butting his head against Bifur’s side. So worth it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, well life has been absolutely crazy lately. Crazy hours and schedules at work, renovating a new house and packing to move, writer's block. I'm not entirely happy with this and I apologize for how short it is after such a long wait, but I needed to get something out before I went crazy.

            “I think you’ll like it up here, Bifur,” Dwalin commented as he led the other cat to the roof,” I seem to remember you sharing Bilba’s love of green things.”

            Bifur froze as he stared at the scene before him, jaw slightly hanging in awe. The rooftop had been completely transformed from a dreary wasteland to Bilba’s personal paradise. Pots of various sizes and types were scattered about, overflowing with a variety of colorful blooms and vivid plants. A simple gazebo draped with gauzy white fabric stood like an island among the sea of color, gently shading a pair of comfortable looking lounge chairs from the summer sun.

            _“It’s beautiful,”_ he murmured as he padded through the foliage _, “When did she have time to do all of this?”_

“Well she has been in this world much longer than we have,” Dwalin replied as he followed after the striped gray cat, hopping up on one of the lounges while Bifur took the other,” She’s lived a life that we know next to nothing about.”

            _“Aye, almost like the last time we saw her as well,”_ Bifur mused as he absentmindedly rested his head on his front paws _,” Did we ever bother to really get to know her last time, to find out anything about her other than if she could fight or burgle? My memory is a little shaky on that point.”_

“No, we didn’t,” Dwalin murmured, flinching slightly at the sting of guilt,” We were so focused on our own problems and on the fact that she wasn’t a Dwarf, that we neglected to really even try to get to know her much at all.”

            _“I suspected as much,”_ the other cat sighed and lifted his head to look around once more _,” This is a sad imitation of the Shire, isn’t it?”_

“She should be surrounded by gardens, orchards, and fields. Not potted plants on a rooftop surrounded by all these concrete and metal buildings,” Dwalin grumbled as he cast a disdainful glance at the fore mentioned structures.

            “ _We’ll make it right, Dwalin. Somehow we’ll make it right.”_

.

.

.

            Bilba was absolutely incapable of denying a pair of sad eyes, Dwalin mused to himself as he contentedly lapped up the remaining gravy from his dish. His eyes flicked over to Bifur, nose wrinkling slightly as he took in the other cat contentedly lapping up the peas from his dish. Thankfully Bilba had been kind enough not to give him any of those green things, but Bifur had been fair game, not that he seemed to mind of course. Idly, he wondered if it was some unconscious memory of them from her previous life.

            Dismissing the thought with a soft snuffle, he finished lapping his plate clean and sat back on his haunches, happily licking any remaining gravy from his chops and whiskers. Bilba chuckled and picked up his plate from the floor along with Bifur’s before depositing them in the sink to be washed.

            A feline smile curved his lips as he watched Bilba fill the sink with hot, soapy water. If there was any sort of perks to being a cat, then not being expected to wash dishes was most definitely one of them. His smile fell as he watched in fascinated bewilderment as Bifur began to rub his sides against the back of Bilba’s shins, purring loudly.

            “What in the hell are you doing?”

            _“Well we are cats, and the last time I checked, this is what cats do,”_ Bifur replied, wriggling his ears at him playfully, _” I’m actually surprised you didn’t think of this yourself, after all here’s an excuse to rub yourself all over Bilba.”_

“Oh shut up and move over, old fool,” Dwalin growled and stalked over to join the other cat, very much grateful that he could no longer blush. 

           

 

           


	6. Chapter 6

“No, Dwalin.”

            Dwalin stared at Bilba with all the disbelief he could muster. There was absolutely no way he heard what he thought he just heard. Huffing, he once again made a beeline for the open bedroom door.

            A socked foot appeared in his vision and he paused, feeling the foot connecting gently with his chest before the pressure increased and he was sent sliding back along the wooden floor. Grumpily he glared at the offending foot before looking up to meet Bilba’s stern hazel eyes.

            “I said no Dwalin, the both of you are staying out here tonight,” she said and jabbed a finger at him sternly before doing the same to Bifur from his perch on the couch. “Because as unpleasant as those three were, and for all the good reasons you had; it is never alright for you to scratch someone up in that manner. So the two of you are going to be sleeping on the couch tonight, and I sincerely hope that this will teach you both a lesson.”

            “No Bilba, don’t do this,” he meowed as the bedroom door shut in his face with a firm thud,” Please, Bilba let me in!” Frantically, he pawed at the door only to get a shouted, “Go to sleep,” from his beloved.

            _“What’s going on Dwalin?”_ Bifur asked as he finally hopped down from the back of the sofa, _“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this.”_

            “Bilba has nightmares,” he replied as he plopped down on his haunches to glare moodily at the door,” Mahal told me that they’re memories of her time with us on the Quest and the Battle. And they are bad Bifur, they are truly horrible and worst of all she doesn’t have the memories like we do.”

            Bifur’s eyes widened in understanding, _“She doesn’t remember her life in the waking hours, only when she is asleep.”_ He sighed and gave the bedroom door a speculative look. _“I bet you could probably jump up and pull the handle of the door to get in.”_

Dwalin blinked at the change of subject but gave the doorknob a speculative look. Bifur was right; there was room for his paws to grasp at it. His ears flattened to his head in embarrassment at overlooking that one detail.

            _“I never thought I’d see the day when a warrior of Durin was so easily flustered,”_ the other cat purred, tail twitching in amusement, _” Just wait until I tell the young Princes.”_

“Don’t even think about it.”

.

.

.

            Bilba’s scream tore at his heart, sending strength to his limbs as he jumped up and managed to grasp the long handle with his paws. The door opened with a click and both cats raced into the room and towards the thrashing figure on the bed.

            Dwalin found himself licking her nose frantically, pausing ever so often to meow at her in a desperate attempt to try and wake her. Bifur was next to him, firmly butting his head against hers while adding a litany of chirping barks to Dwalin’s own racket.

            It seemed an eternity before her sobs slowly quieted to the occasional soft sniffle as she finally seemed to calm down enough to slip back into the realm of sleep.

            _“Is she always like this?”_ Bifur inquired softly, gaze never leaving Bilba’s sleeping face.

            “Usually she just seems to cry a lot, the last time she had a nightmare this bad was when she first brought me home,” Dwalin said and shifted himself to settle beside his friend’s side,” I don’t know how to help her Bifur.”

            _“We’re dwarves; we adapt to our situation and make the best of it. Her being human and us being cats are definitely not ideal, but Lady Yavanna and Lord Mahal must believe that there is some way that we can heal her in these forms.”_

“Sometimes it feels more like she wants us to fail.”

            _“Perhaps, but I don’t think that’s quite it. After all, while she may be rightfully angry with us; Bilba is still her child, and she would not want her child to suffer.”_

Dwalin stared at his friend with a look of tired disbelief,” Since when did you get so thoughtful and deep?”

            _“I’ve always been that way,”_ Bifur huffed _,” It’s not my fault that everyone used the ax head and the fact I could only speak Khuzdul as an excuse to not really pay attention to what I was saying.”_ He paused and tilted his head considering _,” Now look at you though, you’re actually admitting that you don’t know what to do instead of growling and glaring at everything in your path. Balin would be so proud.”_

            Dwalin flinched at the familiar pang lanced through his heart at the mention of his long-dead brother. Bifur noticed and butted his head against his shoulder.

            _“You’ll see him again, we’ll see them all again. Just you wait.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm horrible, I know. What is this long delay right?   
> Here's another chapter for your viewing pleasure.   
> Little shorter than I wanted, but at least it is a step forward. Sort of.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ummm.... hi everybody. I really have no good excuse for why it's been so long since I updated, but here's a new chapter. Hope you guys like it.

Dwalin watched Bilba from his perch on the back of the couch, vaguely aware of Bifur copying his pose as they stared at the silent woman. Bilba usually hummed in the morning while she cooked or chattered nonsense at them while she completed any household chores she had to do.

This morning, however, she was silent, placing their bowls of scrambled eggs and chopped ham onto the floor without the faintest hint of her usual smile or morning cheerfulness. An inquisitive chirrup erupted from his mouth before he could stop it and he was treated to the sight of dull hazel eyes staring at him blearily. He shivered as his mind overlaid a blank expression while snow drifted about…. He shook his head. That was in the past; he still had time to fix things in the present.

_“Her nightmares are getting worse, very quickly,”_ Bifur mused _,” I hope the others show up soon, we’re going to need all the help we can get.”_

“We’re all cats, Bifur, I’m not sure how much help we’re all going to be,” Dwalin growled irritably,” I knew Yavanna was furious with us but was she really so cruel as to leave us with absolutely no way to help her child?”

Bifur stared quietly back at him, brown eyes calm and thoughtful as she shifted his body to free his left front paw, which he promptly used to slap him across the face.

Dwalin jerked back, an irritated yowl erupting from his throat before he could stop it. “What in the bloody hell was that for?” he growled, ears instinctively flattened against his head while his bobbed tail thumped angrily behind him.

_“I didn’t take you for a defeatist Dwalin, always thought pessimism was more of Thorin or Balin’s trait rather than yours,”_ Bifur replied as he resettled himself on the couch _,” You’ve always struck me as the type to keep beating at a problem until it surrenders or it kills you. Why, now that things are getting tougher than ever, are you so certain that there is no way to help Bilba?”_

“What part of ‘We are cats,’ did you not understand?”

_“We don’t have to be dwarves or men to get Bilba to talk to us, or even write her dreams down. Once she starts facing them, she can start to overcome them.”_

“Well, it’s kind of hard to tell her that when she doesn’t understand cat, isn’t it?” Dwalin groused as he regained his seat on the couch.

_“Then we just have to improvise, don’t we?”_

.

.

.

It was nearly an hour later before Bilba made her way back out of her bedroom, idly slipping on a pair of simple garnet earrings that contrasted nicely with the similarly colored skirt and black blouse she was wearing.

“Work called me in again,” she announced with a smile that went nowhere near her eyes,” I shouldn’t be gone more than a few hours though, and I’ll be sure to pick up a collar for Bifur while I’m out. Now you two stay out of trouble while I’m gone, alright?”

The two dwarf cats couldn’t help but give similarly insulted huffs as they watched her pick up her purse and leave the apartment. They could behave themselves thank you very much.

_“Do you think Bilba ever forgave us for all the trouble we cased her the night we arrived?”_

“I don’t know, but I think she did. Hobbits didn’t really seem the type to hold grudges over things like that.”

_“Hobbits didn’t really seem like the type to go on an adventure with thirteen dwarves and a wizard either,”_ Bifur barked wryly _,” But Bilba still came with us anyways.”_

Dwalin grunted in agreement and laid his head on his paws, tail twitching in agitation as his mind insisted on reminding him of all the times that Bilba had managed to pull a miraculous escape on their journey. And the one time she hadn’t.

Growling, he shook his head and hopped onto the seat cushion of the sofa and started to paw at the remote. As much as he wanted to take a nap, he was not interested in the nightmares his memories would provide if he tried to rest now. He tapped the power button on the remote and the screen flared to life.

A surprised yowl accompanied by scrabbling and a firm thud tore Dwalin’s attention away from the TV and towards the now Bifur-less back of the couch. Dwalin blinked stupidly at the empty space before turning to look over the arm of the couch.

“Bifur?”

A pair of balefully glaring brown eyes suddenly appeared in his vision and he jerked back in surprise. _“Why didn’t you warn me you were going to do that? I fell off the bloody couch!”_ Bifur grouched as he stalked past and hopped up onto the opposite cushion.

Dwalin stared at the other cat in disbelief for a moment before an amused chirp escaped him. Bifur glared at him before petulantly turning his attention to the television screen as Dwalin slowly started to flip through the channels.

.

.

.

It was nearly noon before they heard the tell-tale sound of the key twisting in the lock. Dwalin quickly powered off the TV and shoved the remote away before joining Bifur on the back of the couch. They watched as Bilba carefully maneuvered herself and an awkwardly large basket through the front door. The basket jolted suddenly and their ears perked at the sound of scuffling that emanated from inside.

“Yes, well Bifur, Dwalin,” the scuffling in the basket stopped suddenly and Dwalin leaned forward slightly, intrigued. “I swear I just went to the pet store to buy Bifur’s collar, but there was a woman outside the door trying to get rid of a few kittens she’d found. They apparently didn’t want to be separated so no one really wanted to take them even though they’re so cute!”

Bilba smiled sheepishly and carefully tilted the basket so that the top was facing them. “I really want you all to get along, so could you please at least try? They’re just babies after all.”

A faint huff echoed from the basket and the two dwarf cats exchanged a look before jumping down to the floor. Bilba smiled warmly and they noticed with relief that it actually reached her eyes before she reached out and grasped the handles of the lid.

“Okay, here it goes.”

The second the lid swung open a tiny tan blur raced out and collided with Dwalin’s chest, making him look down in surprise. A pair of wide brown eyes peered back from a tiny tan body that was marked with exotic designs in dark brown fur.

“Mister Dwalin,” the kitten chirped happily while his tiny tail twitched merrily behind him.

“Kili,” he rumbled and knocked his head gently against his younger cousin,” You have no idea how good it is to see you right now lad.”

Kili purred happily and turned back towards the basket,” Come on Ori, Fili; you can’t stay in the basket forever.”

“Yes I can,” Fili’s voice meowed petulantly from inside the basket while a slightly scrawny kitten carefully padded its way out. The patterns on his fur were similar to Kili’s but the bright ginger color was a dead giveaway as to which one this was.

_“Ori, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”_

“I could say the same for both of you, Mister Bifur, Mister Dwalin.”

“That just leaves Fili to greet then, why is he hiding Kili?”

“He’s embarrassed,” Kili sighed with a roll of his eyes. “You look fine,” he directed to the basket,” Now get out here and say hello.”

“You’re not the boss of me Kili, I’m the older brother remember and I don’t want to come out.”

“Come on lad, it can’t be that…” Dwalin meowed as he peered into the basket,”… bad. Oh Mahal, Fili you look like a baby chick with all that fluff!”

            Blue eyes glared out at Dwalin before the dwarf kitten finally made its way out into the light. It was obvious that the young Prince shared similar coat patterns with Ori and Kili, but where the other two had short and sleek fur; Fili, unfortunately, did rather resemble a fluffy chick rather than a kitten.

            “What happened to you lad?”

            “I don’t know, I woke up like this!”

            “Maybe you should go back to sleep, it might actually help your looks.”

            “Shut up Kili!”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being so slow with this, but this chapter has been driving me crazy for over a month. It's very short, but very cute (I think). It would be longer but I couldn't get the flow to go on like I wanted so I gave up. Happy Reading!

            Dwalin purred contentedly as Bilba’s hand slowly ran down his back, gently smoothing down his fur before repeating the process. He could hear her other hand tapping across the keyboard slowly, unwilling to let the fact that she had a lapful of cat stop her from writing for her job. He idly wondered whether her latest article was about plants or books, and just as idly decided that he really didn’t care at the moment. He was entirely too comfortable.

            Occasionally the light thud of a tiny body jumping to a new level or the faint chittering of youthful voices drifted to his ears as the three dwarf kittens explored their new home. He purred louder as he was hit with the realization once again that the three youngest members of the Company (who had all been taken too soon from life) were alive once more.

            “Umm, Ori, I’m not sure if it’s escaped your notice but you’re a cat,” Kili’s voice broke through his happy thoughts and he lazily slid an eye open to see what the youths were up to.

            He was unsurprised to find Ori perched on one of Bilba’s bookshelves, glaring down at Kili with all the fierceness his tiny ginger body could muster. “I know I’m a cat Kili, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate all of the books Billa has; even if I can’t read them on my own. Oh, I wish I at least had thumbs so I could turn pages.”

            “You’d make a pretty interesting sight then, Ori. Whoever heard of a cat with thumbs?” Fili snarked as he padded out from behind the coffee table, tiny body majestically backlit by the sun shining through the window.

            Dwalin bit back the snort that wanted to escape.

            As majestic as Fili looked in the sunlight, the same light also revealed his darkest secret. With all his fur, Fili looked to be a rather large kitten; much larger that Kili and Ori at any rate. However, his silhouette revealed that while Fili was undoubtedly a solidly built kitten, the pale halo that surrounded him proved that he actually wasn’t as large as he first appeared.

            “And whoever heard of a dwarf being turned into a cat, and yet here we are. How do we know cats don’t have thumbs?”

            “Umm, because we don’t,” Kili replied slowly.

            “Yes but we’re an anomaly,” Ori insisted, “Who’s to say we’re normal for a cat in this day and age?”

            “Well, we’re normal for dwarf cats in this day and age.”

            “Kili, you wouldn’t know normal if it came up and bit you on the nose.”

            “We’ve all been turned into cats Fili, I’m pretty sure none of this is normal.”

            “Finally, after all this time; I’m so proud of you little brother,” Fili gasped, blue eyes wide with mock wonder.

            “What did I do?”

            “You finally said something intelligent.”

            Fili really should have expected the resulting tackle.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So have I really not updated since May? Ummm.... oops..... here's an almost 2,000-word chapter to say sorry. Wish it was longer. Enjoy!

In his life, Dwalin had seen and experienced many things both good and bad. However, everything he had done paled in comparison to the absolute comedy that was unfolding before him. His eyes watered and his sides ached from the constant stream of laughing chirps he emitted as he took in the true scope of the tableau in the living room.

            In their youth, Fili and Kili had been nearly infamous for their dislike of clothing of any type. This lead to more than one instance of the boys peeling off most, if not all, of their clothing and running like headless chickens through the house; or if they could manage it, out the front door and down through the neighborhood and the markets. By the time both boys hit their 30’s, the sight of an exasperated Dis or a red-faced Thorin chasing a pair of naked, giggling Dwarflings through the marketplace was common to the point that no one bothered to even glance their way anymore. Mahal had been praised quite vigorously when they finally outgrew that particular phase.

            Still, it appeared that being turned into kittens rather than cats had apparently reduced the boys back to a more childlike mindset. And while their fur was impossible to remove, (thankfully reducing any possible instances of rampaging hairless cats to nil), the new harnesses that Bilba had put the boys into were another matter entirely.

            Dwalin watched in fascination as Bilba tried to get a completely uncooperative Kili to actually stand up and move with his new accessory. He hadn’t seen the lad pull the infamous ‘my clothes are laced with hematite and so is the floor, so they can’t be separated and since I’m in them I’m stuck to the floor too’ trick since he was a very small badger.

            “Oh Kili, do stop pouting,” Bilba sighed in exasperation as she picked up the brown kitten by the back of his forest green harness and balanced him by it on the crook of one finger,” If you ever want to join me for walks out on the street, then you need to be wearing a harness and a leash Kili, that’s non- negotiable. The last thing I want is for you to run out into the middle of the road and get hit by a car, this isn’t the countryside you know.”

            “But it’s so uncomfortable Bilba; do I really have to wear this? I’d be careful, honest” Kili meowed plaintively as he was set back onto the floor, this time sitting down with a huff instead of dropping dramatically to the floor.

            _“You mean you’d be careful until you get distracted by something shiny_ ,” Bifur muttered so that only Dwalin could hear.

            “I heard that!” Kili complained at the same time Bilba rose from the floor to shake her finger at the stubborn kit,” You better hurry up and get used to that harness because you are wearing it and that’s final!”

            “Yes Ma’am,” he muttered sulkily and tucked his legs under him so he could pout in comfort. 

            “Now, how are the rest of us doing?” she enquired, ignoring the pouting kitten on the floor in order to properly look at the other two.

            Ori was taking the whole thing more or less in stride. He was up and moving about, stopping every so often to sit and scratch vigorously at his new accessory. In fact, it was only that and the slightly stiff and rolling gait that faded in and out occasionally as he moved showed that he was not the greatest fan of his harness.

            Fili, on the other hand, made it rather obvious that he hated his new accessory.

            Dwalin tilted his head, considering the older prince. Once when Dwalin had been a young lad, a merchant had come to Erebor from the mysterious lands across the Sundering Seas, bringing with him a vast array of exotic items from the faraway lands. Among the merchant’s items, he had a simple cage with an unusual bird. This bird was a rather beautiful, but simple creature until the merchant had shown it a small wooden figurine that he said mimicked the look of a female of the bird’s species. Once it saw the figurine, the bird had immediately flipped its plumage into a shape that looked like an oval with a bright aqua blue face on it and started to hop around and click like some mad thing possessed. The man said that the natives of the land it hailed from called it a ‘bird of paradise.’

            As he watched Fili hop and twist around like a demented rabbit, he rather thought Fili could give that bird of paradise a run for its money. Pity he wasn’t trying to attract a mate. Or that he wasn’t a bird of paradise. Then he thought about all the mischief the brothers could get into aided and abetted by any theoretical wings on Fili’s part. Maybe it was a good thing that Fili wasn’t a bird of paradise.

            “That’s enough lads, you look ridiculous,” Dwalin finally said after Bilba left the living room in search of aspirin to quell her Fili and Kili induced headache,” You both used to wear harnesses as dwarves to hold your weapons, I don’t know why you are having such problems with this now.”

            “I don’t know Dwalin,” Fili huffed as he finally stopped jumping long enough to glare petulantly at his former mentor,” It just feels wrong.”

            _“I’d try getting used to it quick lads,”_ Bifur mused from his spot next to Dwalin, _”After all, if you can’t go outside then you can’t go with us when Bilba goes to the market. And if that happens, you might not get to pick out any toys for yourselves. Bilba might just pick them for you, and they might be horrible things like something pink or even worse, you might not get anything at all.”_

A look of wide-eyed horror passed between the brothers and Dwalin snorted as they almost immediately decided that the harnesses were no longer horrible things that needed to be gotten rid of and that they should behave. A newly medicated Bilba, upon her return, agreed most heartily.

.

.

.

            Dwalin glanced around curiously as he obediently followed Bilba through the various stalls of the Farmer’s Market. There were so many things to see and so many delicious smells; he idly wondered if the markets the Hobbits had held in the Shire had been anything like this. They passed booths full of handcrafted jewelry and leather items, paintings and photography. His ears twitched in interest as they passed a large canvas depicted a scene of a ship at sea. Some of these were actually rather good and, some obviously needed some more work. Was that a pony or a funnily shaped bear? He wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to know.

            Bifur trotted next to him, attention constantly swinging towards the few woodcraft booths that dotted the area. _“After we’re back to somewhat normal, Bofur and I will have to see if maybe we can get a stall here and sell some of our own woodcarvings. They’d be far superior to anything they have here,”_ Bifur decided, drawing some strange looks from some people as they stared at the barking cat.

            “I agree, there’s nothing like a little bit of old dwarven ingenuity or craftsmanship,” Dwalin replied, before being distracted as Bilba turned a corner to another section of the market entirely.

            There was so much food! There was fresh produce and fruits, bread and cakes, jams and jellies, smoked meats and so much more. His mouth watered and he pointedly ignored the drool that was running down his jaw as he tilted his head back to get a better look around.

            Bilba obviously knew her way around as she made her way between the stalls efficiently, obviously knowing who had the best items at the best price. He watched as she laughed and haggled with the vendors, struck by how happy and peaceful she looked. She should look like that all the time, he decided as he watched her give the vendor some money before picking out a few loaves of bread wrapped in thin brown paper. She placed them carefully in her basket and they moved on.

            “This is so boring! I want to get down and walk awhile.”

            Dwalin snorted and glanced up at the kittens that were perched like parrots on Bilba’s shoulders as she shopped. “It’s your own fault, you know better than to try and go climbing trees or random passerby. You’re just lucky that she didn’t turn around and put you and Fili back in the apartment. And yes Fili, I saw you trying to sneak off into the bushes while she was busy scolding Kili. So as far as I’m concerned, you both are getting what you deserve.”

            The two princes settled down with a huff, grumbling quietly to themselves as they grumpily watched their surroundings. Ori, on the other hand, appeared highly pleased with his seat in one of Bilba’s front pockets. Many people smiled as they caught sight of him with his wide curious eyes and twitching nose, he did make a rather adorable picture after all.

            Bilba eventually came to a stop by a stall that was filled to the brim with potted plants and gardening supplies. She stepped slightly inside and greeted the owner, whose voice sounded vaguely familiar to Dwalin, before starting to chat about some green thing or other.

            He sighed and nudged Bifur, leading him a few steps so they could lie down in the shade provided by a nearby lamppost. “She’s going to be there awhile. Might as well get comfortable,” he grunted as he sprawled out, grateful for the chance to rest his paws.

            “Your guard is slipping,” a new voice said and Dwalin leaped to his feet, fur raised as he spun to face this new threat.

            A sleek brown cat stared at him, eyes twinkling in amusement as he took in Dwalin’s stance. His head tilted and his lips spread in a feline grin,” Never thought I’d actually get the drop on you Dwalin, being a cat has obviously slowed you down.”

            “Nori! You bastard, how did you find us?”

            Nori shrugged his shoulders and stood up,” It doesn’t matter now. What does matter is that we’ve found you.”

            “You found some more of the Company?” Dwalin said suddenly; hope rising in him as his mind drifted over his still missing family members.

            “Not some, we all found each other. You two, the boys, and Ori are the only ones missing and Thorin has been driving himself crazy worrying about them.”

            _“Bilba has Fili, Kili, and Ori with her in the shop,”_ Bifur barked, tilting his head toward the garden stall _._

            Nori’s head whipped around, “Ori’s here?”

            “Yes Nori, Ori is here,” Dwalin said, remembering the middle brother’s grief over Ori’s death in their past life,” He’s safe, he’s alive, and he’s absolutely fine.”

            Nori sagged in relief, a quiet purr stirring in his throat for a moment before he got hold of himself. “I can hear Bilba,” he murmured, large ears twitching as he focused on the shop,” She’s getting ready to leave and it’s probably best that she doesn’t see me just yet. Tell me where she lives and I’ll bring the rest of the Company by tonight.”

            Dwalin rattled off the information and watched the other cat melt back into the shadows of the nearby alleyway. It looked like Bilba was in for another unexpected party; minus the singing and plate juggling of course.


End file.
